By Tom Forrest –
A NATO diplomat claims the Russians were expelled over the case of Herman Simm, who was jailed for treason for handing over over 1,900 pages of information to Russia’s Intelligence Service.
Two Russian diplomats Victor Kochukov and Vasily Chizhov have lost their accreditation to NATO”S headquarters in Brussels. It is not clear how much this will impact relations with Russia. Since Barack Obama has taken office things seemed to be improving however as we have stated in previous articles the long unresolved conflict over proposed missile defense systems remains a major issue and concern of bothe the USA and Russia.
Russia has complained bitterly about NATO’s plan to hold a peacekeeping exercise next month in Georgia. But NATO says Russian officers were invited to take part in the two-week event and Russia is aware the exercise presents no threat.
NATO spokesman James Apparthurai said Thursday he could not confirm whether any diplomat’s accreditation had been withdrawn because he could not comment on intelligence matters.
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May 3, 2009
Georgia’s Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli met US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and US Trade Representative Ambassador Susan C. Schwab in Washington DC Monday, the Associated Press news agency reports.
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December 12, 2006
Russia`s Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov stated that Ukraine`s NATO entry would strain bilateral relations with Russia, RIA Novosti news agency reported Thursday.
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December 7, 2006
Rescue workers from several NATO countries, Russia and other European nations teamed up Tuesday in the countryside near Rome for anti-terrorism drills, the Associated Press news agency reports.
Some 250 firefighters, police and emergency workers will work for two days on various simulations of attacks combining common explosives and radioactive components that can contaminate large areas.
The drills, held at the Italian firefighters’ training center in Montelibretti, north of Rome, were designed to improve coordination between rescue services of the six participating countries: Italy, Russia, Hungary, Romania, Croatia and Austria.
“The first response is always from the nation that is attacked, but if there are shortages of equipment or personnel, NATO and other organizations can mobilize additional resources,†said Evert Somer, a spokesman for NATO’s civil emergency planning. “The objective (of the drill) is to learn to work together.â€
The drill, which also tested response to possible events like the use of a “dirty bomb,†is the last in a series of three joint exercises dealing with potential threats from weapons of mass destruction. The previous exercises were held in Russia in 2002 and 2004 to deal with simulated chemical and biological attacks.
The drill on Tuesday morning included this imaginary scenario: two cars, driven by terrorists, crash into a tanker holding fuel and radioactive material, sparking flames and sending up a cloud of black smoke. A team of fire fighters doused the burning vehicles with water and flame-retarding foam, while tending to pretend casualties dressed in green suits to signal radioactive contamination.
Firefighter Andrea Bonetto said the first response team is called the “canary squad,†a reference to the animal once used by miners to alert them to the presence of toxic gases.
“They are the ones who will save many people but will need to be saved themselves later on,†he said.
While the fake wounded were treated and decontaminated, a Russian team brought in a robot that was maneuvered into the blast area to collect radioactive material and store it in a shielded container.
Another drill Tuesday simulated a “dirty bomb†explosion at a convention center in Trieste, a city in northeast Italy near the border with Slovenia.
“There haven’t been many mistakes†in the drills, said Renato Riggio, a senior Italian firefighting official who directed the exercises. “Perhaps we need less emphasis on rescue operations and more on coordinating†rescues.
He said the drill’s usefulness could pay off in case of attacks in border areas.
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October 27, 2006
